Laser shock processing techniques are used to modify a material by applying a laser beam onto the work surface of the material. Depending on the characteristics of the laser beam, the energy imparted to the material by the laser beam can alter the characteristics of the material in various ways for achieving a desired effect or condition (e.g., various disparate processing results). For example, laser shock peening techniques are used to impart localized compressive residual stresses within a material. The compressive residual stresses act to resist fatigue failure of the material over time. Other laser shock processing techniques are used to alter the formation of a material in other ways, such as to remove surface layers of the material. Additionally, some laser shock processing techniques are used to generate a shockwave through a material for creating or detecting defects in the material.
Generally, the laser beam utilized in laser shock processing techniques may be generated from a single, customized laser specifically tailored to produce a laser beam with relatively fixed characteristics for achieving a dedicated processing application. Accordingly, such application-specific lasers can be complex, expensive, and limited to single mode operation to produce a laser beam with a limited range of characteristics. Often, due to the complexity and customization of application-specific lasers, modifications to the lasers can also be difficult. Additionally, reliability, replaceability, and reparability of application-specific lasers may lead to a high cost of ownership.